Exercitations concerning the name, original, nature, use, and continuance of a day of sacred…

And yet so it is that some begin now to plead, that these Ebionites were the only true and genuine Believers of the Circumcision in those days. These, ⟨p. 405⟩they say, and these alone, retained the Doctrine preached by the Apostles to the Jews, for they were the same and no other with those which were also called Nazarenes. Thus do the Socinians plead expressly, and have contended for it in sundry Treatises published to that purpose. This they do, hoping to obtain from thence some countenance unto their impious Doctrine about the person of Christ, wherein they agree with the Ebionites. But as to their Sabbatizing with the Jews, and the rest of their ceremonial observances, they will have nothing to do with them, as not finding those things suited unto their interest and design. But herein do they now begin to be followed by some among our selves, who apparently fall in with them in sundry things condemned by our Apostle, and on the account whereof they declined him, and rejected his Authority, as others seem almost prepared to do, on other Reasons not here to be mentioned. In particular some begin to Sabbatize with them, yea to outgo them. For Ebion and his followers, although they observed the seventh Day Sabbath with the Jews, yet they observed also the Lords Day with the Christians, in honour of Jesus Christ, as both Eusebius and Epiphanius testify: [Greek or Hebrew]. They in like manner with us observe the Lords Day, in remembrance of the saving Resurrection. How great a scandal these things are to Christian Religion, how evidently tending to harden the Jews in their infidelity is apparent unto all. For the introduction of any part of the old Mosaical system of Ordinances, is a tacit denial of Christs being come in the flesh, at least of his being the King, Lord, and Lawgiver ⟨p. 406⟩of his Church. And to lay the foundation of all Religious solemn Gospel-worship in the observation of a Day, which as such, as the seventh Day precisely, hath no relation unto any natural or moral precept, not instituted, not approved by Jesus Christ, cannot but be unpleasing to them who desire to have their consciences immediately influenced by his Authority, in all their approaches unto God. But Christ is herein supposed to have built the whole fabric of his worship on the foundation of Moses, and to have grafted all his institutions into a stock, that was not of his own planting.